ISRAEL announced on Saturday that a top Hamas commander was killed in an airstrike in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency released a joint statement saying Raed Saad, who led weapons production for Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, was killed in Gaza City.
 |
| Reuters |
Saad was seen as one of the most important leaders in the Qassam Brigades and was in charge of several groups during the Hamas attacks on Israeli towns east of Gaza City on October 7.
The statement noted that he was involved in attacks that resulted in the deaths of many Israeli soldiers during the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
A spokesperson for Hamas's Civil Defence, Mahmoud Basal, told the BBC that four people were killed in the strike, and several others were hurt by the blast.
A local Hamas official also reported that Saad's assistant and another lower-ranking official, Abu Imad al-Laban, were killed in the attack.
Israeli officials said Saad was part of a new five-member military leadership group formed after the ceasefire started in October. The attack happened as Israel continues its efforts to target key Hamas leaders in Gaza.